10.A. Skills building seminar: Advancing national burden of disease studies in Europe: new developments for increased impact

Abstract Burden of Disease (BoD) assessments provide comprehensive, comparable, and internally consistent estimates of the population health impact of diseases, injuries, and their associated risk factors. They allow for quantifying health loss using summary measures such as Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), enabling priority setting, resource allocation, and health policy development. As such, BoD methods have become an essential component of evidence-informed decision-making in public health, health systems planning, and beyond. Inspired by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, initiated in the 1990s, several European countries have launched national BoD studies to complement global estimates with locally relevant data and context-specific insights. These initiatives seek to improve data ownership, strengthen health information systems, and better align BoD metrics with national policy needs. Despite variations in structure and scope, these studies share common goals and face similar methodological and translational challenges. This skills-building seminar will feature four of the most longstanding national BoD studies in Europe- Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Scotland-presenting their latest methodological innovations, key findings, and lessons learned. Although operating in diverse contexts, all have encountered challenges in effectively translating BoD results into actionable policy. Each has developed tailored strategies to bridge this gap, ranging from enhancing data quality and transparency to developing additional study components and designing effective dissemination and communication approaches. This skills-building seminar aims to build capacity among public health professionals, researchers, and policymakers, equipping them with practical tools and collaborative approaches to enhance the impact of BoD assessments in their respective contexts. Throughout the seminar, participants will have the opportunity to critically assess current practices, share experiences, and co-develop strategies for advancing national BoD studies. Key messages • National burden of disease studies provide locally relevant evidence that allows countries to inform policies and allocate resources based on their specific population health needs. • Effective knowledge translation - from methodological development to communication strategies - is critical for ensuring that burden of disease results drive real-world impact.